The Great Sting
by Beck2
Summary: Kim and Ron show a new girl around, but there's something boiling underneath the hum of the city and the rain. A plot's afoot, and it will take all thier intelligence to find the true motives.


A/N:

Hey everyone, my first Kim Possible fanfiction. I hope you like it, I'll try to keep it lighthearted. I'm working with a few weak spots in my own writing style, so if things seem a little off-kilter(I drop conscious voices, I skip something vitally important to a sentence, like a particular adverb or noun) I'd like to be told immediately. All reviews are welcome. Flames will be used to light the darkness around my computer soI don't strain my eyes. Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms. I love to be told how to improve. In any case, a few may guess that this will be a sort of mystery, and things may seem a little jumpy at times, but I'll do whatI can to keep it smooth. I hope you enjoy the fic.

* * *

"Aww man, look at all the rain!" 

"I hope someone hasn't stolen a weather machine again." The red haired girl beside him said humorlessly. Her hair had started to frizz with the moisture and her temper was growing thin. Her favorite shirt was wet, and some inconsiderate jerk in a car had splashed her with mud on the way.

"What's with all the 'stealing weather machine' plots? You'd think arch villains would have better things to do than turn sprinklers on!"

"Ron, do you happen to have a towel?"

"Sorry KP, but don't worry! You look great."

"Great!" A small pink molerat hopped out of his pocket to give a thumbs up, then screamed when he caught sight of Kim and hid.

"You have no idea how much confidence that instills in me." Kim glowered. She turned on her heel and stalked off to the girl's bathroom. She may be late for class, but no way was she turning up looking like a waterlogged blue fox.

Ron Stoppable, sidekick to teen hero Kim Possible, watched his girlfriend walk off in a storm cloud of her own. Then he turned to his pet.

"I don't see what her problem is, she looks good all the time."

Rufus gave him a disbelieving look.

"Yeah, ok, right then she was a little scary with the medusa hair, but we'll overlook it since she's my girlfriend."

"Okay!"

First bell rang and he hurried to his first class. Latin, with some teacher whose last name he could barely pronounce. He rushed into class and sat down four seats away from Bonnie, the snobbiest girl in school, but not exactly the most popular anymore, due to her mouth at the Prom last year.

Halfway through the class, Ron found himself falling asleep with eraser in hand. The teacher's scratchy, boring voice often had this effect on him.

Just like well aimed pens have the effect of waking him up again.

"Mr. Stoppable! You are not allowed to sleep in my class!"

He was about to pull a lame excuse from his small collection when the door creaked open apologetically. The class hushed to look at the newcomer.

A girl, soaked to the skin, stood half in the classroom, looking about with a silent expression. She was wearing an old brown crotchet sweater with a white shirt under it, with a knee length skirt clinging to her skinny body. Her hair fell in rough looking, homely strands of brown hair a few inches past her chin. Her bag was dripping with water, and she self-consciously pulled it up on her shoulder and looked about the staring faces.

"Is this…Math with Mr. Johnson?"

"This is latin!" The teacher swelled up importantly. "Are you new here, miss?"

"Yes."

"Then go to the office! They will tell you where to go."

He turned back to the class, but a few snickers stopped him. Mr. impossible name swung back around to glare at the new girl.

"Yes?"

"I don't know where the office is."

Giggles burst out throughout the room. The girl turned crimson with embarrassment, and stared at her feet.

"I'll show her around!" Ron called impulsively. He hated seeing kids get picked on, and anything to get him out of class where there was a possibility of running into Kim was on his list of things to do.

The teacher rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb to the door.

"Boo-yah!"

"I expect to have your homework in soon, Mr. Stoppable."

"Yeah sure, I always get it in on time." He said with his coolest voice. In the back Bonnie snorted and rolled her eyes. "Come this way, new girl, and I will show you Middleton School, the finest of all schools around the Middleton, Upperton, and Lowerton areas. I'm Ron, your tour guide on this whirlwind adventure."

"Get out of my class, Mr. Stoppable!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" He hurriedly shooed the new girl into the hallway and closed the door behind him. "What a grouch. Say what's your name?"

"Joan. Joan Heathersfield."

"Okay, we're getting somewhere! I'm Ron, and this is my pal Rufus-" He whipped the molerat out of his pocket and held it up in his outstretched hand. The girl leaned back from the sight, slightly disturbed. "Aw, don't be like that, the molerat's got nothin' but love!"

"I'm not big on rats. Of any kind."

"Rufus is different, but just to make you feel better I'll put him back in my pocket. There. Now, the office!"

He managed to get as far as the first door to the girl's bathroom before a door swung open into his face.

"Oops, sorry Ron. You okay?"

"Yeah…Hey KP!" He pulled his girlfriend around to face the new girl. "KP, Joan Heathersfield, Joan, Kim Possible, teen hero, savior of the world, and my girlfriend." He said the last line with a swelling of pride.

"Hey Joan. Wow, you must've got caught in the storm pretty bad. There are some paper towels in here if you want to dry off. You want me to get you some?"

"No thank you. I just want to get to my classes."

"Oh. Well, where's the first one?"

"Way ahead of you KP. I'm giving her a tour!"

"You're skipping out on Latin."

"That too, but it's for the greater good."

"Right. Okay, let's walk. Down that hall is the cafeteria. Home of the worst food ever."

"Except for all cheese pizza Fridays!" Ron interjected.

"His favorite." She said rolling her eyes at the new student. "Except for the entire Bueno Nacho menu, of course."

Joan gave the slightest of smiles and nodded for Kim to continue.

"Over there is the gym, where we have cheerleading practice. Do you want to try out?"

"I don't think so. I have a job."

"Really? Where?"

"An old warehouse by the docks. I do inventory."

"Wow. Hey, how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"That makes you a sophomore. I'm over a year older than you, and I don't have a job, well, besides the whole saving the world thing."

"Whoa, freeze frame, you work at the old docks? Aren't there gangs there?"

"I never work outside, and there are people that will drive me to and from work, as a favor to my uncle. I'm never truly alone."

"Your uncle?"

"My parents died a few years ago. I stay with my uncle."

"Oh, Sorry." Kim lapsed into an embarrassed silence.

Ron, sensing the discomfort, immediately jumped in again. "Hey, you want us to walk with you after school? We can show you the town!"

"No, I have to go straight home, my work starts a few hours after school."

"OH." He deflated, then rallied. "We'll walk you home then. I mean, must be scary for a new girl in a new city. You need us tour guides to sort you out."

"Umm…I guess, that would be alright."

"Okay. Well, here's your math. If you see some big guy with a crew cut, don't worry, his name is Mr. Barkin and his bark is worse than his bite." Kim gave her a big smile. "If you have any trouble, ask some of the teachers. They always want to help."

"Except for Latin." Ron muttered.

"We'll see you after school!" Kim waved at Joan as she quickly entered her class.

As soon as she was gone, Kim smacked her head with the palm of her hand. "Oh! Stupid awkward silences, she probably thinks I'm a freak now."

"Nah, anyone can make that mistake. I make mistakes all the time. Uh-oh, it's almost Barkin's time to patrol. I better hide in the bathrooms. He said the next time he caught me out of class he was going to put me into a class for the mentally inept. I shudder at the implications."

"Okay. Hurry. And Ron-"

"Yeah KP?"

"It was really sweet of you to show Joan around."

"Yeah well, I did it to find you too. Uh-oh, Mr. B's coming, gotta go!" He quickly leaned in and pecked her on the lips and ran away down the hall, going anywhere away from Barkin.

Kim Possible shook her red head and went off to her next class. She might make it in time for the second bell to ring.

* * *

Joan gathered the mail in the mailbox and walked up the steps to her two story duplex, giving a wave to Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible before going inside. She locked the door behind her and stopped to glance at the heavy looking crates on the floor. The movers had postponed their work because of rain, but by the looks of things, the mail hadn't. The movers must have let the mailmen in, probably due to the 'Keep out of Wet' signs sprawled across the crates. She bypassed the biggest of the crates and went to the answering machine she'd set up first thing the day before. Five messages blinked up at her. 

She pushed the blinking red button.

_'To those it may concern of the Heathersfield residence-your electricity and utilities have been activated. A bill will be coming within a month. Remember, at Middleton Electric Services, it's a delight to have you as a customer, but if you don't pay the bills, you will be de-lighted. Thank you for your consideration.'_

_'Joan, the docks are flooded. You won't be coming to work today, but when the water clears expect overtime. I'm really going to need your help. Hope you had a good day at school. Cliff out.'_

_'Joan, I got confirmation my mail arrived today, if they're not giving me false pretenses. Do open the biggest one first, it has everything a young girl needs to survive on her own. Try not to cause any trouble for your uncle's sake and do call me when you find the time.'_

_'Hello, this is International Zippy travels, informing you that several large crates were placed in your apartment. Postage paid, so no charge. Remember, if you travel far, travel Zippy!'_

_'Hello, this is Elbert Clemens from next door. I figured since we were living in the same duplex, we should at least try to be friendly. I hope you're not as messy as the last jer-Ack! Forget I said that! Damnit, I've never been good at leaving messages…CLICK'_

"Well, that was interesting." She looked amongst the crates and found a crowbar. Pushing it under the lid, she pushed all of her weight down, causing it to go up a fraction. She stopped and pushed again. It took her a half hour to wrestle off the lid.

She wiped the grease off onto her shirt and pulled at the dense, matted hay. She grabbed something fuzzy.

"Hey! Watch the ear!"

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Please leave reviews on the way out! 


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